Cinemetrics of Environmental Educational Video Materials According to the Analysis of the Use of Colour and Frame Length

Abstract

In the era of social media and the dominance of video-based social media sites such as TikTok, short educational movies could serve as a powerful tool for appraising environmental problems and promoting effective protection practices. According to System Theory, educational video can be observed as a complex system of various patterns of visual and acoustic codes that can be quantified and presented as Ishikawa diagrams. Through the analysis of two award-winning educational short movies on environmental protection, this paper presents the development of models for educational movie production by combining theoretical concepts of message composition from communication theory with technical enhancements based on cinemetrics, psychophysiology and statistical methods derived from the simulation modelling. Analysis of the two technical characteristics of the movies: frame (shot) length and distribution of the Red-Green-Blue colour spectrum, confirms explicated theoretical assumptions. Statistical analysis shows that technical transition points (represented by colour equilibrium and inverse Gaussian distribution of shot length) correspond to the movie narration, colour enhancements (peaks) are consistent with the elements of storytelling, and colour patterns in the movie follow psychophysiological assumptions of the meaning of colour, amplifying anticipated viewers response through unique distribution for each of the analyzed colours. Considering the acceleration of content production and the rising lack of focus of modern media consumers, the findings presented in this paper offer a useful tool for the development and production of educational and environmental video materials, its systematisation, optimisation, capacity to clarify complex environmental subjects and engage the various public.